After the first weeks of settling in, our daily life in Rauma slowly started to take shape. What first felt unfamiliar gradually became part of our routine, and we began discovering what student life here really looks like.
At SAMK, we quickly noticed that the teaching methods can be different from what we knew in France. The objectives of the courses are often similar, but the way to reach them sometimes changes. Many classes involve group work, discussions, and practical exercises. This creates a more interactive environment where students collaborate and exchange ideas more frequently.
Working with students from different countries is also a big part of the experience. In many projects, we collaborate with Finnish students as well as other international students. This multicultural environment makes classes more dynamic and allows us to learn not only from the courses but also from each other.
Outside the university, we continued exploring Rauma and its surroundings. What started as first discoveries slowly became habits. We made it a small challenge to try as many cafés as possible in the city. Each place has its own atmosphere and it is a great way to experience the local lifestyle.
Nature is also everywhere around Rauma. Forests are only a few minutes away, and the sea is always close. During winter, we experienced something truly unforgettable: walking on the frozen sea. It was a strange but fascinating feeling to walk across a landscape that is normally covered by water.
Sauna also became a regular part of our lives. At the beginning it felt unusual, but little by little it became a natural way to relax and share conversations after a long day.
Step by step, Rauma started to feel less like a place we were visiting and more like a place where we were living.
Fact box – Victor
Age: 21
Home town: Ardoix, France
Field of study: Bachelor Marketing & Business – IDRAC Business School
Future plans: Work in international industry and trade while developing a personal project in
finance and trading
Fun fact: Worked six months on farms in the United States and walked the Camino de Santiago
In this blog article series, international exchange students share their experiences of SAMK and studying in Rauma. This is the second text in the series. All texts will also be published in Finnish in the newspaper Raumalainen.
Text and photos: Victor Mourier, Baptiste Lours and Antoine Gounon, exchange students